St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-17

the rascals now in power must be
turned out, or the innocents out mustbe
turned in. Much may be accomplished
by legislation, though the remedy is not
political. The franchise should be used
prudently. If we had voice in con-
gresS l would recommend that on every
article for the manufacture or sale of
which combination or trust
has been formed all inn
port duties should be repealed.
The too high protective tariff has en-
abled the manufacturers to amaSS enOr-
nous wealth in a few hands, making
the formation of combinations and trusts
easy, and through that concentrated
wealth to control the government. Our
only remedy for that evil is to let in the
competition of the world. We might
have to yield up that great boon, the
import duty on wheat; but l think we
are ready for the sacrifice.
CAUSES OF DEPRESSION.
The causes of depression and remedy
are in our own hands. 1t is not in abuS-
ing the railroads, elevators, manufactur-
ing or coal mOnopOlies, trusts or COM
binatiOns. This might relieve our feel
ingS, but not our finances. So long as
they gather the plumS, they can laugh
at the abuse. We have been paying too
much for farm machinery, and very high
interest on the top of that. Too high a
rate of interest on borrowed money,
often uSuriOuS to an inhuman, unjust,
dishOnOrable extent.
We have been paying four times as
much for insurance as we should, and
our coal has cost from % to 40 per cent
more than it ought. Freight on every
thing we ship, either out or in, is out of
proportion to its cost. Our principal
products bring less than 80 per cent Of
their value. Investigation will show
that on almost everything we buy there
is combination to force up prices. On
the other hand, know of no article
which we produce or manufacture that
we get our price for.
INSURANCE.
We have partly solved the remedy for
insurance. Our hail insurance company
did well the past year. 1t made the best
record of any company that ever did a
general hail insurance business in Da-
kOta.
TIE PURCHASING AGENT.
Our purchasing agent has accOmp-
liShed work of far greater benefit to
farmers than to himself or the alliance.
He has neither received reward for his
labor nor the alliance credited with the
benefits derived. The lesson learned
is that we must transact business on
strict business principles if we hope to
succeed. Follow the example of sue
cesSful corporations that now control
the commerce of the country by
investing our means in buying in the
cheapest markets and selling in the
dearest. To do this we have organized
our Incorporated company, through
Iii II 1,n1f
farm machinery at all immense reduc-
ton. 1t has already demonstrated that
from % to 40 per cent can be saved on
coal. Through the incorporated COM
pany we hope to replace the loans of
our members at very much lower rate
of Interest. These will be the first fruits
of our business ventures. But we can
not afford to stop here. We must pre-
pare to handle our own wheat. In this
we hope to have the assistance of our
friends in Minnesota with whose inter-
eStS we are SO closely identified.
MeSSrS. Chase, Wardall and Har-
din assisted me in conference
with the executive committee of the
Minnesota Farmers alliance. l have
reason to believe the result of that con-
ference will be united effort, in the
near future, to handle our own wheat
Dy Quilting Il Hat ware mousse at every
station in Minnesota and Dakota where
we have an alliance, and an elevator at
Minnesota Transfer and at some point
on Lake Superior where the millers in
the East or in Europe can purchase our
hard wheat in its purity.
A FREE MARKET.
We must have a free market for our
wheat; we have made progress during
the year by finding out the Instructions
to be overcome. There has been vast
increase in independent shipping. We
must overcome the railroad elevator
grain buyer combination by a greater
One-and that.is the line on which we
are working. This will give us unlim-
tied credit to handle the grain, as well
as free access TO the markets of the
world.
BUILD \ RAILROAD.
In discussing the matter OF freights
Mr.. LOucks said the only remedy he
could suggest was for the alliance to
build railroad of its own, and he be-
lieved the scheme to be practicable as
well as economical.